Ever-improving Stratford Ladies finish third at tournament
STRATFORD Ladies Touch Rugby Club continued with their improvements after taking third place at the NE Midlands League tournament of the year (third in total for 2019) at Redditch on Sunday.
The ten-strong squad, including a third debutante for the season in Kat Lucas, were able to test themselves against all the other five teams that attended the event in a round robin.
First up for Stratford was Old Laurentians, a team they had frustratingly drawn to last time out so they were keen to better that performance.
Two great team-worked tries, one each for Rhiannon Ridgway and Rachel Browne, and only one lapse of defence gave Stratford the win.
Next up were hosts and eventual tournament winners Redditch. Stratford narrowly lost 1-0, but the team performance was one of the best all season.
Some amazing straight line running from Alice Mercer and fantastic cover defence from Julie Allison and Jessie Darling were displayed.
Stratford then played Woodrush and kept them out for the whole match. A try apiece for Ridgway and Rachel McGovern secured Stratford’s second win of the day.
After a short break Stratford faced Wellesbourne for the first time this season.
Coach Richard Pepperell had asked for a bit more pace when playing the ball off the floor which the team delivered.
Quick hands from Caz Farris nearly put Ridgway in for her third of the day a couple of times, but it was not to be.
One try to Wellesbourne sealed a narrow loss.
Camp Hill were the last opposition for the day and Stratford were determined to finish on a high.
Captain Jane McGovern and vice-captain Bec Charles led the team in attack with some lovely runs and line breaks, resulting in two brilliant tries on the wing for Browne and McGovern.
The solid defence continued and Camp Hill were unable to penetrate it.
The results put Stratford in third place behind Wellesbourne in second and Redditch in first – both of which only got one try passed the ladies in black and white.
The player of the tournament was debutante Kat Lucas for a performance worthy of an experienced player.
Coach Pepperell said: I was very proud to watch. Some of the play was really high level.
"They ran complex moves and played head-up rugby – attacking the right parts of the pitch and defensively giving the opposition nowhere to go.
"To concede only 3 tries all day and never more than one in a match is an amazing statistic."
There is a break in competition now until Camp Hill’s tournament on 19 May.
The Ladies will continue to train on Tuesdays at 7pm at Stratford RFC.
